


A Scale of Discovery

by RonniRotten



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Body Horror, Corpse Desecration, Dehumanization, Gore, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Innuendo, M/M, Magic, Merpeople, Misgendering, Non-Human Gendering, Nudity, Other, Sirens, Swearing, Thomas Sanders Storytime Big Bang Challenge 2020, Unsympathetic Logic | Logan Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 18,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25964737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonniRotten/pseuds/RonniRotten
Summary: Roman is a sailor with a dream, to be a merman and the closest way he can get to that is on a research ship under Captain Logan. After a long time of only finding deceased specimens, Roman still dreams to be part of that world and maybe find the merchild who brought him that dream.When fate is kind to him and brings that same mer to him years later, under less than ideal circumstances, he frees Janus and joins him under the sea. With a little help form Janus' friends, Roman learns how to be a mer, but his brother, Remus, and the captain of his ship want Janus back. Roman and his new friends are in serious trouble, but they have their ways of setting things right.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Morality | Patton Sanders/Dr. Emile Picani
Comments: 12
Kudos: 40
Collections: Storytime! 2020





	1. Chapter 1

The sea was the most beautiful place in the world. Both twins could agree on that much. Ever since they were young, Roman and Remus were drawn to the ocean's bold waters, the waves glittering in the sunlight and crashing on the sand. The mysteries it held below its unforgiving currents were enchanting. But one mystery captivated the brothers more than anything: merfolk. 

Roman would tell you that they are more than a legend, they simply lived too far down for people to see. Remus claimed that they wouldn't want to be found. Every time he encountered them, they were old and dead, spread on the deck of a ship or in the sand. Roman was luckier than him.

Picture it, soft white sand, cold from the night before as dawn set in. A child wandered the coastline with a bucket of seashells. His brown locks blew in the wind as he hunted for the perfect shells for his collection. He would take only the best for the castle he was creating. He would comb the entire beach to find them.

But as the waves crashed against his feet on this quest, he came upon a rock out cropping. He was unsure of what he was seeing, two boys were seated on the very edge of the furthest rock with their legs in the water. They were strange boys with strange britches that sparkled in the faint sunlight. 

"Hey!” Roman shouted, squeaky as a mouse and excited to make a strange friend or two. They were around his age and he wasn’t afraid of them! His mother would get her corset in a knot if she ever found out that he was running on the slippery algae-covered rocks as the tide came in. He was determined! 

“Hey! Hello! What are you doing out there?!” he called out to them and one of the boys glanced back at him, the spray of the waves crashing framing his wild dark hair magically. His eyes were wide, and he wasted no time in sliding off the edge of the rock into the sea. 

“Wait!” Roman shrieked and hurried to get closer. That boy would get tossed around by the current and drown if no one tried to help him! It didn’t occur to him at the time that the other boy was laughing and completely relaxed.

Roman fell to his knees and scanned the deep blue water, desperately trying to see the boy from under the sea foam. He couldn’t let the kid drown! He had to help somehow! He had to—!

“Hey!” he whined as something splashed him in the face. Roman’s hard glare landed on the other boy, who was smirking with a golden fish tail waving in the air behind him. Roman’s jaw dropped at the sight of the scales covering half of his face; they were gorgeous and greener than the fish–that had to be a fish–in the water.

“What is a little boy like you doing so far from home at this hour?” he jeered and rested his chin on a clawed, webbed hand with yellow scales riding up to his elbow.

“He—He—Riptide!” Roman gawked. He was staring, he knew it was rude but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. 

“Oh, yes, him. Don’t worry, little one, he can handle the waves here better than I,” the boy snickered and adjusted the strap of the bag he carried, “But you have yet to answer my question.”

“Why do you talk like that?” Roman asked without thinking. He was curious, and he had never met a child who talked like a fancy grown-up who would have at least three wigs! He shrank back when he realized his folly. The other boy was amused with a twinkle in his mismatched eyes.

“I speak as I was taught. Now then, I provided you with an answer, you should grace me with the same courtesy.”

“I was getting shells to make a sandcastle but with paste instead of sand,” Roman explained, “I didn’t think I’d see anyone out here. You won’t tell on me will you?”

“How could I tell your parents a thing? Look again and tell me how I would be able to walk up to her and say, ‘your son was on the beach on the rocks at dawn.’”

Roman blinked, and stared at the fishtail, then at the boy’s waist, and back at the tail. Those strange britches weren’t britches at all! This boy was a merperson! His jaw dropped. The merboy smiled at him knowingly and shook his head.

“Oh dear, did you think I didn’t exist? How dreadful! I hope for your sake that you think this encounter is a dream. I would hate to drown a curious child because he had to follow me into the murky abyss.”

“I’m not stupid, I’m not gonna follow you! And I don’t want to think this is a dream! There’s magic out there and you think I wanna forget that?” Roman pouted, “I wanna believe that there’s more than stupid fishermen and harvests and boring rules!”

“Aren’t you idealistic?”

“Maybe, but it’s better than being a stinky boring jerk who doesn’t wanna be anywhere near his kids and never has time for Momma.”

“I see. Your father is a spicule, how tragic,” the boy taunted, “Now why don’t you run along home before I have to kill you.”

“If you kill me my brother is gonna go nuts. He gets scary when he’s mad. You don’t have to be mean, if you gotta go home just say so!”

“You are a strange child,” the boy said and narrowed his eyes at young Roman. Roman shrugged and grinned in response. 

“Momma always says I’m imaginative. So you need to go home to your momma, right? If you ever come back, I’ll be here. Just yell for Roman.”

“I just might, Roman, until next time,” the boy said with a sinister grin and slipped into the water, accidentally knocking his bag on the rocks. Roman pouted, and watched him swim off without even learning his name much less getting something to remember him by.

That is, until something shining on the rocks caught his eye. He slowly crept toward it and knelt down, carefully picking it up. It was a small sculpture of a sea turtle with a snake carved on its shell. The green rock carving was smooth and barely fit in Roman’s chubby little hand. Luck was on his side, and he was sure he would see that merboy again.


	2. Chapter 2

Roman never did see that boy again, even though he went to the same beach every morning for years. For years he longed to be part of that world, to swim in the open ocean as a merman. The only person who believed him when he said he saw merpeople was Remus, but he was open to believing that their real father was the kraken, so he wasn’t the best support. 

He was so desperate to find that merchild that he found work as a sailor, well that was one reason, the other was that he was trained and raised for that line of work. Remus was able to secure a job on a research vessel, the TSS Crofters, and he dragged Roman along since the captain was on the hunt for mermaid specimens to study. It was a little unnerving at first, but Logan wasn’t all bad, just strict. The same could not be said for Remus.

“Yo ho! Ro ho! Wake up and smell the sea!” Remus sang loudly and kicked in the cabin door. He was so lucky that everyone else was awake and at their posts. 

“Remus!” Roman yelped and flailed, tumbling from his hammock. He hit the wooden floor with a thud. It made Remus laugh. 

“Sorry, fish-fucker!” Remus giggled, “We gotta get moving! They just hauled a dead one on deck–or part of one anyway!”

“‘A dead one?’” Roman parroted and got up, rubbing his tailbone. He didn’t like the sound of that at all. 

“Yeah! Cap’n thinks a shark got ‘em! No head, no arms, just bite marks!”

“A shark? Wouldn’t it have eaten the whole thing?” Roman scoffed and pulled on his boots. He was not about to get his feet covered in mermaid fluids.

“The chum we were tossing smelled better! But that’s not important! We got a mer with a tail intact!" Remus cheered. Roman sighed and let Remus lead him on deck. 

The bright sunlight was blinding at first, but Roman adjusted quickly to it and the sensations of his home. The crash of the waves against the hull and the creak of the deck under his feet were the songbirds chirping for some landlubber. The salty sea air that filled his lungs, however, was marred by a foul stench. 

He followed Remus past different crew members, weaving around the mainsail. They were too busy to care about the stench, and the most important person onboard was focused on the source of that stench. 

He stood out among the others with his tricorn hat and long deep-blue tailcoat. His glasses reflected the sun blindingly, and everyone knew that a bright flash of light meant the captain was near. He was wearing gloves and kneeling by the cadaver, studying its pink scales. Roman flinched at the sight, Remus was definitely holding back on some information. 

"Captain!" he greeted cheerfully, though his stomach was churning, getting Logan's attention. 

"Roman. You should be sleeping, I will not have my crew members jeopardizing the integrity of this operation," Logan said flatly as the twins neared. 

"Aw c'mon cap!" Remus groaned, "We don't find these carcuses often! Let the man see!" Logan sighed and nodded, allowing them to come closer and kneel beside them. 

Roman didn't want to stare for too long. He was already nauseous. Instead, his eyes wandered over the deck, and amid the ropes and barrels he spotted a bag made of seagrass. It left a puddle on the deck and a question in Roman's mind.

"What have you determined thus far, Captain?" Roman asked, staring at the bag.

"Adult, mid-forties to early sixties. Cause of death, shark attack. The bag you are eyeing was full of assorted shells and crystals. It's a standard style made of local seagrass. You may investigate it further if you so desire." 

"I don't, but thank you." 

"Fuck that noise!" Remus laughed and snatched the bag, "I wanna find fish weapons!" Logan sighed and shook his head. 

"Anything else you figured out about this person?" Roman asked with a sigh. Remus was happily rummaging through the shells and rocks. 

"I'm afraid that's all I could determine about it based on the evidence so far. I will be dissecting the specimen once I am finished analyzing the proportions," the captain answered flatly and pulled an old measuring tape from his pocket, "I will have more information on it later if you find yourself unable to withhold your curiosity." 

"Aw, you say that as if I don't wanna watch!" Remus whined and stood up, setting the bag down and shoving his hands in his pockets. Roman stood up as well and fought the urge to cringe—"it" was undignified for a humanoid creature, alive or otherwise. 

"If you can refrain from unnecessary commentary," Logan said, "You may fetch my kit and observe." 

"Yes, Captain!" Remus cheered, "Lemme get Ro back to bed!" Roman bit back a groan and rolled his eyes. Before he had time to protest, Remus grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the body.

"So," Remus hummed and reached into his pocket when they were out of Logan's line of sight, "I don't think he knows what's really valuable!" 

"What are you—?" Roman questioned as Remus showed him a tiny turtle sculpture. Roman's free hand went straight to his own pocket to make sure Remus didn't swipe his little treasure. He was relieved to find it where he left it. 

"I wonder why they would have this on them," Remus mused and released Roman from his grasp. Roman just stared at it as the gulls overhead squawked. Remus' shit-eating grin grew more mischievous with each passing second. 

"Don't tell him about it. I don't want him to confiscate mine for research purposes." 

"Why would I tell him about a rock?" Remus laughed and stowed his turtle in his pocket again, "The only way he's finding out about this is if he gets in my pants—literally!" Remus wiggled his eyebrows and mustache for added effect.

"Revolting."

"More than the seagull bait? Damn!" Remus giggled. 

"Yes, now if you'll excuse me, I want to sleep without having nightmares about you and the captain," Roman said and turned tail to get back to the bunks. Remus snickered as he strode away with his nose in the air. 


	3. Chapter 3

“You know we shouldn’t be out this far,” Virgil said as she kept pace with Janus. They were far from their home, the reef, but Janus needed to forage for one thing, an ingredient for his next spell. He rolled his eyes at his oldest friend and personal worrywart. 

“Virgil, please, if you don’t want to be here, you can go back to your school and train. The other sirens need their best baritone," Janus huffed and glared at her. A violet hue bloomed under her lilac cheeks and he could see black scales creeping up her arms. 

"I'm not the one with no protection here," she argued and crossed her arms. Janus rolled his eyes at the way her black and purple tail tensed. 

"Virgil, my boy, I need to get this fin-flipping serpentine to make a new charm so you don't have to follow me around like a remora," Janus said with extra salt in his words. 

"The guck is a boy?" 

"It's some human gender." 

"Gender?" Virgil asked and tilted her head. She didn't have to remember anything about the humans, unlike Janus.

"They divide themselves differently. It's a mess." 

"I can't tell if you're serious or trying to trick me again," she deadpanned, “Let’s just get out of here.” Janus ignored her and went about digging through the sand, careful of the webbing between his fingers. 

"Don't make me," Virgil warned. Janus shot her an unamused glare before getting back to his task. Elliot said that there was serpentine in this area, and they were the best scout in the kingdom! 

"You wouldn't dare. I'm faster than you, I can escape the second you flex your chords." He was nonchalant, digging through the white sand.

"We're out too far. It's not safe." 

"Caution in this case, is not fleeing like a guppy, Virgil. Too much movement will call unwanted attention," Janus retorted and flexed his spiny dorsal fin as his fingers brushed over something smooth and solid. He sped up his digging, fanning away the sand he flung up with his tail. There was no mistaking that mint green color!—a whole slab of serpentine was just waiting for him! There was a loose piece perfect for him to carve that he could take without breaking out his tools from his bag. Naturally he grabbed it.

"Seriously!? You just said—"

"I found what I came for," Janus sneered and showed her the rock he dug up. She growled and her lateral fins flared out. The translucent purple webbing was far too bright, showing just how agitated she was. 

"There's more of this around here, and I will be chiseling more pieces. If you intend to harass me about being out here, go home, or better yet, swim toward the surface and get some sun. A little photosynthesis might do you well." 

"A little photosynthesis?!" she snarled as her scales crept up her body. Janus knew just the buttons to push. 

"Or a lot. I think you might be overreacting this time. You know how often I heed you, why wouldn't I now if the situation is serious?" 

"Over. Reacting?" she hissed between a sharp set of teeth that rose in front of her usual teeth. Janus sighed and squared his shoulders. 

"Virgil, I didn't ask you to come. You decided that I am as helpless as a hatchling. I am a grown mer who is not interested in a babysitter. You know where I am, if I don't return home before dinner, you may drag me back by my fins. Until then, let me work in peace." 

"You have until the afternoon hunt. Don't be late," Virgil said darkly and bitterly darted back towards the reef. Janus waited until she was out of earshot and sighed. 

He put his rock in his bag and pulled out his chisel and hammer. He knew that Virgil meant well, and that she was trying to look out for him, but she could get overbearing ever since he lost his charm. He had to laugh as he worked through the rock. 

They were still guppies at the time but that hadn't stopped Janus from brewing up a potion like the sea witch he was. He had convinced Virgil to try it out with him so they could go on land. He even had brought some clothes that he had found on a sunken ship. The potion had worked, even making Virgil's skin look human. It was a great experience.

She had kept quietly complaining all day that she was a siren in-training, not a sea witch in-training. The poor unfortunate soul had had no idea how humans worked, but it had been amusing to Janus. Of course he had chosen to go into town for his own reasons, aside from simple curiousity. 

He shook his head, remembering the night they had spent at the tavern, Abraham had been far too kind, as Janus later found out, letting two boys (as far as he could tell) eat and spend the night for free. Janus almost felt bad for waking up just before dawn and dragging Virgil back to the sea.

Janus stowed another stone in his bag and thought about how Virgil had ranted about how weird humans were. It was hilarious in retrospect—cooking? clothes? fire? And not to mention they had to have their bits exposed like that and some had weird lumps on their chests! He had almost wished that the spray of sea water would change them back faster, and then  _ he _ showed up. 

Janus remembered Roman very clearly. The splash from Virgil's impulsive escape made it hard to forget the face of the child who saw his tail. As he hammered at the rock, Janus wondered what became of Roman. He was such a strange human child, and he had to be up to something just as strange for an adult human. Maybe he became a poet or an author, something artistic for a surface dweller. 

Janus couldn't dwell for long. Not when something strange caught his attention. Floating overhead was a ship, the wooden hull casting a shadow over him. He knew ships were dangerous and he ought to avoid them, but there was an inkling of hope mixed with a dash of curiosity he always struggled to ignore. There was a chance he could find  _ him _ on board. He had to investigate. 

He stowed his tools and loot and swam toward the surface. The water rushing past his face blurred his vision as much as his judgement as he drew nearer. He should have been more aware of his surroundings. 

“Oh Salacia!” he screamed as a net with barbs woven into the rope fell on him, he thrashed and struggled, only to have the net dig into his flesh and wrap around him, lifting him to the surface. Nothing good could come from this.


	4. Chapter 4

“Cap’n! We got something big!” Remus shouted as he helped Ant hoist the net out of the water. It was far too heavy to be just a simple shark or a school of fish. Whatever it was got tossed on the deck like a slab of meat, the net covered in its blood. And it sure wasn’t the food they were hoping for!

“ɕ ʁʁässs!” 

“What the fuck was that?!” Ant gasped and inched away from the mass, his tired eyes wide with fear. Luckily, Remus was brasen and a little stupid, and he decided to get a closer look, and noticed the creature had hands and arms, sure they were pressed to his body and scratched up, but they were arms!

“We got a live one!” Remus shrieked so loudly that it scared away the roosting gulls. 

The captain's door swung open, slamming against the wall. Logan hurried down to the poop deck barking orders.

"Fill two tubs with sea water! Remove the net! Do not harm it more!" 

The noise of the crew scrambling overhead woke Roman. He had at least another hour before his shift began so he was not happy to have to wake up. At least he wouldn’t have to see yet another carcass after tossing the one overboard a week ago. No one made that much noise for a dead body. 

He got up and dressed, not in any rush to go on deck. It wasn’t like he was needed in anyway before the night shift. He fixed his hair and debated going to the galley rather than get in the way. With his turtle charm safely hidden under his pillow, Roman reluctantly went up to the deck.

He was stunned to see the hustle and bustle. Ant and Remus were hauling something up from the side of the ship, the rest of the crew was running around gathering weighted chains and cuffs, and Logan was kneeling by a bloody mass of yellow scales. Roman spotted a large tub filled with sea water and immediately went back to his cot. He wasn’t ready to witness yet another corpse, one that would be used to test bouyancy. 

He felt sick as he stumbled back to his cot. It seemed that his dream of becoming oe with the sea was less and less likely everyday. Every corpse that Logan hauled on board, studied, and tossed aside made him doubt he would ever find a living one. He wanted to know more, be part of their world, and it was just so far fetched. He grabbed the turtle carving from under his pillow and ran his thumb over the carving. 

“Roman holy fuck!” Remus squawked and kicked open the door. Roman spun around to face his shirtless oaf of a brother and scowled. 

“There had better be a good reason for waking me up so early,” he growled, not so much angry as he was scared and disheartened. Remus nodded so fast it was like he was trying to detach his head from his neck.

“We got a live one!” he squealed and bounced on the step, clapping his hands like a hungry seal, “A real live merman!” 

“Live?” Roman questioned and pocketed his little treasure. Remus was too excited for his own good. He raced to Roman and grabbed his arm.

“Yeah!” he said and practically dragged Roman up to the deck. The hustle and bustle had slowed to a normal rate. The only differences were the captain on his knees with a notebook, quil, and his favorite measuring tools, and the two large tubs of saltwater holding a merman chained so he was stuck on deck by a pair of weighted balls. And what a beautiful mer he was!

Roman was dumbstruck by his gorgeous yellow tail draped between the tubs, the scales covering his body that glistened in the late afteroon light, and his perfectly combed saffron hair that was too perfect to have come directly out of the ocean. As Remus brought him closer, the mer spared him a glance. From the sharp curve of his jaw to his bright golden eyes, Roman was sure this was not just a merman, but Posiedon himself! 

“Cap! Cap!” Remus called, weaving through the busy crew with his brother in tow, “Is he still alive?!” Logan looked away from his measuring tools and glared at Remus.

“Yes, he is still alive. Now you will do well to return to your post and cease interrupting my research.”

“But Captain!” Remus whined as he came to a stop a few feet away, “We have a live one! Roman wanted to see! Please!” Logan shook his head and ducked when he saw the tail he was measuring twitch. 

Remus yelped when a blast of icy seawater hit him in the face. Roman stifled a laugh and looked to the merman as a way of thanking him, but this merman was not interested in his gratitude. He hissed and sputtered in some language none of the crew could understand, baring his sharp fangs and struggling to lift his arms to attack. Roman hated to admit that he found the display attractive, and instead inched away from his brother and the captain. He was in no position to think, let alone learn about such a creature. He needed a moment to calm his romantic side, as well as his other desires.

“You do what you want, I have to prepare for my shift,” Roman lied and scurried off. Remus shrugged. It was a lot to take in, and maybe that merman was a siren and his hissing was a spell. Nothing shocked Remus about this creature. The outbursts, the hissing, the scales, the bag of rocks, the anger–all of that was to be expected of someone trapped with nowhere to run. With so little data on mers, Remus wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this one wasn’t a man or that he was a siren.

Janus would be surprised if he made it out alive.


	5. Chapter 5

Janus sighed and stared at the stars. They were always so much clearer above the surface. He suspected they would be his only comfort for the rest of his short life. That captain was going to kill him, poke and prod him like some sort of animal before butchering him. That’s what humans did, and he was so foolish to try and get closer.  _ He _ wouldn’t be on any ships, Janus knew that much by this point. Stupid hope, stupid curiosity! Virgil was right, of course she was, and he should have heeded her when he had the chance. He wanted to go home, but he hoped Virgil wouldn’t come looking for him. She didn’t need to get involved with these pirates.

Roman was nervous as he walked along the deck carrying a dinner roll and a lantern. He was supposed to look for stowaways and any unusual phenomena on the seas, but he decided to shirk his duties to try his luck. 

Each step he took closer he could see the merman more clearly. His scales had receded to his hips and the stars reflected elegantly in his eyes. He was even more gorgeous with fewer scales.

“Excuse me!” Roman greeted, getting the mer to turn his head and face him. Roman nearly dropped his lantern. He knew the scale pattern on his face, remembered it as if he had only seen it the day before. Instead of getting scared off, Roman decided it was best to try and be amicable. He would never want to be stuck in that position.

“What do you want?” Janus asked bitterly, curling his tailfin under the water just to be safe.

“I thought you might like some company,” Roman shrugged and set his lantern down at a distance, “Some company that has no intent on treating you like an experiment.”

“How  _ very kind _ of you,” the mer sneered and rolled his eyes, “But I don’t need or want human company.” He shut his eyes and frowned when Roman laughed. It was a boisterous, proud sound, annoying at worst, but not mean-spirited. Janus waited for him to calm down.

“I’m sorry!” Roman giggled and shook his head, “If you aren’t looking for human company, why did you come after this ship full of dangerous humans?” Janus growled under his breath he didn’t have to take this, not at this hour. He didn’t think, he acted.

“Ack!” Roman yelped when he was hit with icy seawater. The night air was cold enough as it was and he couldn’t rightly change his shirt without waking someone, namely Remus. He sputtered, getting the fluid out of his mouth, and shook off as much as he could. Janus bit back a laugh, it served him right for taunting a prisoner.

“If you’re through pretending to be genuinely interested in me as a person, you may leave. I’m not here for your entertainment before you kill me.”

“Kill you?” Roman pouted and crossed his arms, “I have no intentions of the sort.”

“Pirates like you are always lying, don’t try to trick me. I know that mer scales fetch a hefty price. You humans and your money, it only corrupts.”

“Pirates? Oh no, you are mistaken, you’re on a research vessel. We are explorers studying the ocean and its creatures,” Roman explained, running a hand through his hair, “I can understand why you would suspect we’re pirates, what with capturing you and all, but no one is going to kill you for your scales.”

“You say that as if that’s the only reason I think you’ll kill me.”

“I cannot speak for the captain or the rest of the crew, but I do not intend on hurting you.”

“Then, what, praytell, are your intentions?”

“I only want to learn about you and your people, as a curiosity. But I will not press for details—Oh before I forget!” Roman gasped and went for his pocket. 

“How noble of you,” Janus sneered and watched Roman fish in his pocket. He was unprepared to fight a human with a knife. But the strange round lump he pulled out surprised Janus.

“It’s not much, but I doubt Logan provided you with food today with all the excitement.” Roman held out the dinner roll with a charming smile. Janus took it cautiously and stared at it.

“It’s bread, food. I know it’s probably not something you’re used to, but it’s the best I could do on such short notice,” Roman continued, his smile faltering. Janus sniffed it, then licked it. It wasn’t poisoned. He stared at Roman, trying to read him. What was with this guy?

“Thank you. You may leave now.”

“Of course, and if you need anything, I am happy to help.”

“Go!” Janus hissed. Roman backed away to get his lantern and left him to think. It had been a long time since he had human food, and an even longer time since he decided to trust a human. Was there a way out of this mess?


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was bright and the gulls overhead were loud, annoying Janus. His skin was drying out above water and the only thing that could make this situation worse would be someone nagging him. And of course that had to happen too.

“So you swim all the time, do you sleep? Do mers have dreams?” Remus asked, sitting next to the wooden tubs with a bright grin. He was not budging, none of the crew members could coax him away from the irate mer, and he wouldn’t move after getting splashed. 

“Okay, so why did you come after this ship? Did it look like a fat juicy fish that you could kill and eat? I bet it did! Eyes bigger than your stomach? Or do you have a bunch of guppies that you gotta feed? Ooh that would suck since you’re stuck here and not taking care of your kids!” Remus rambled happily. Janus cracked his neck and hissed at the annoyance.

Remus blinked and wiggled his mustache, “Oh man that was hot! Is that the kind of sound you would make if you were boning? How do you bone? Is there a fishy word for it?”

Janus’ lip twitched into a sneer and he averted his gaze. He didn’t have to speak to any of these humans. He made the mistake of doing so the night before but that one was tolerable. This one had a voice that made thermal vents sound sweet! 

“Not much of a talker, huh? That’s okay! Can I look in your bag? If it’s nothing special there shouldn’t be a problem with that, right?” Remus beamed. Janus rolled his eyes and sat on his bag. It had his tools and serpentine, and no human was going to learn how those charms worked.

“Grumpy! Can you say anything? Roman said you could speak if you wanted, so why aren’t you speaking? Oh! I think I know why! That’s tricksy!” Remus rambled. This mer was clearly a siren! He wasn’t going to speak unless he wanted to hypnotize, and he didn’t want to sink the ship yet until he knew he could get out safely. Clever! 

“Remus,” Logan said curtly as he approached with his measuring tape and tool kit, “Return to your post. This ship cannot function properly without all hands at their stations. You’ve harassed my specimen long enough.” Janus bristled at the word “specimen” as if he weren’t a sentient being. 

Logan knelt next to the tubs and unrolled his measuring tape, a rope with incremented stains. Janus watched him reach into the water with the rope, pressing it against his gills and following the curve of his tail with it until he reached the rim of the tub, not terribly concerned with Janus breathing. He was so lucky merpeople had lungs and gills! 

He continued to measure the length of Janus’ tail, pleased with his new findings. Janus scowled at him as he wrote his precious data in his little journal. 

“Fascinating,” Logan mumbled as he added a few notes to his findings. It would have been okay had he not gone and went for the tail fin. 

Janus, like most fish-based mers, was protective of his tail fin more than any other part of his body. It was his only form of locomotion and the smallest tear could leave him as shark bait. They might not attack humans, but certain sharks had a taste for mer flesh. Janus would not let anyone touch that fin and survive.

It was the biggest splash he had managed thus far. All the water in his tail tub flew out into the air as soon as Logan’s fingers brushed his tail fin. The nearby crew got sprayed with the stale water, but the brunt of it splashed Logan, his tools, and worst of all, his journal.

“Remus! Anthony!” Logan called, seemingly unbothered by the set back in his investigation. It was disappointing that he wasn’t visibly upset, but his hands were nowhere near that fin, so Janus did gain something from potentially drying out his tail.

“What’s up, Cap?” Ant said as he arrived with Remus following close behind. Why Remus decided to go shirtless was beyond anyone’s knowledge, but it didn’t bother a soul. 

“I need you and Remus to refill this tub and find another chain to hold the tail down. It is far more dangerous than I anticipated. I will be in my cabin, drying my equipment and checking our barings relative to our course. With a specimen such as this, it would be wise to avoid known pirate channels, I would loathe to lose such a prize.” 

“It?”

“Prize?”

“Indeed. Now get to work.” Logan said and got to his feet. With his stuff in hand, he marched back to his cabin. Remus watched him and let out a low whistle.

“Now you made him mad!” Remus laughed and grinned at Janus, who was getting scalier by the second.

“I mean it! I have never seen him that pissed off before, and it’s hard to tell! It’s kinda lame he didn’t explode but hoo boy!”

Janus ignored Remus’ ramblings and gave Ant a break by lifting his tail from the empty tub. So Logan was going to chain his tail now too? Well he should have expected that much. At least he would get some fresh water after his little stunt. How long that water would stay fresh was up for a debate. He tried to think of anything that wasn’t his current situation.

Ant and Remus were quick about getting the tub filled again, which was probably something they’d consider to be considerate, and it was, scales and sun don’t mix. But not even the heavy lifting seemed to shut Remus up. Janus decided to listen at the worst time.

“...he was so pissed I woudn’t be shocked if he cuts you open to study your organs and lets you bleed out instead of letting you die first!”

Janus never felt more alone.


	7. Chapter 7

Roman wandered the deck with his lantern held high. He might have snagged an extra bit of salted cod from the galley before his shift and he might have been on guard for any wily sea birds who would want to steal it from him. He only wanted one person to have this food, and he was probably just as hostile and angry as the night before, not that Roman blamed him. 

The sound of broken sobs hit him when he stepped onto the poop deck. His heart broke as he neared the two tubs of water. The mer, the lively handsome mer, was curled into himself, as much as he could manage, shaking and crying.

“Oh no,” Roman breathed and hurried over, trying to avoid tripping over the odd unsecured rope or crate. He knelt by the mer and placed his hand on the rim of the tub.

“Are you hurt? What’s wrong?” Roman asked and scanned Janus’ torso for any injuries. Janus shook his head and weakly splashed at him with his hand. Roman moved the lantern just in time and sighed. 

“I don’t want you to be in pain, please understand I don’t want to hurt you. I only want to help, and to do that I need you to tell me if something is wrong.”

“Look at my tail and tell me what wouldn’t be wrong!” Janus spat. Roman lifted his lantern and cringed at the sight. There was a rusty old cuff around the end of his tail, just above the dorsal fin. Roman’s blood boiled. This was not okay.

“Is that the only thing that’s bothering you right now? I will have a word with the captain and he will release your tail. Or else.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Janus hiccuped, “He’s going to kill me!” Roman pouted and thought about what Remus had told him. How this mer was not willing to cooperate and how he was probably a siren waiting for the right moment to strike.

“Not if you escape.”

“I can’t escape on my own! Just look at me—” Janus snapped, trailing off when he realized he didn’t know this human’s name. The mustached bastard called him Roman, or at least that’s what Janus assumed.

“Roman. My name is Roman. I’m a little disheartened that you don’t remember me,” Roman said and pulled the dried fish from his pocket. Janus stared at him curiously in the dim lantern light, trying to study his face to place it. When Roman offered him the fish, he took it but didn’t eat it. He knew that face.

“Perhaps,” Roman continued and pulled the small turtle carving from his pocket, “This might jog your memory.” Janus’ eyes went wide. His charm, his little serpentine turtle, after all those years?

“Roman, that idiotic child who wasn’t scared of me!” Janus gasped, “You kept it?”

“I thought it was pretty and it was proof that I met you, that I wasn’t just dreaming,” Roman said, “But right now I suppose dreaming is all I can do anymore, just like that idiotic child with no fear.”

“What?”

“I want to be a merman. Silly, isn’t it?” Roman laughed, “If you could make me like you, I would steal the key right now and set you free.”

“Is there another way? I can’t do that,” Janus lied. He didn’t have the ingredients and he didn’t trust Roman to know about his reef and family. He would have to prove himself some other way for that.

“If you tell me your name I’ll free you tomorrow night.”

“Why something so simple?”

“Because I want to put a name to the face that has me captivated. Call me sentimental if you want, but I think that’s more than a fair trade for you, unless names are a particularly sensitive subject for your kind,” Roman shrugged. The dim light hit his shining hazel eyes in such a way that made Janus want to believe him. 

“How do I know I can trust you? I know humans want mer scales. It would be foolish to free anyone who could provide something of value, alive or dead.”

“Your life is more valuable than your scales or any notes Logan would want to take. You deserve to be free to live your life. Knowing that I could save someone from a horrible fate is more than enough for me.”

“But you just tried to make two deals as an exchange.”

“How often would I get a chance to ask about fulfilling my dream? How likely is it that I would be so fortunate to meet the same person after years, finally able to learn his name after he’s plagued my nights as a mysterious face? If you had said no to either, I would still help you.”

“You are as strange as you were back then.”

“Will you accept my help or not?” Roman pouted. Janus sighed and glanced at his chained tail. The rust would seep onto his scales and past them to his skin if that cuff were on for too long. His wrists ached from the iron shackled to him and his torso was chapped and drying. He needed to escape, and Roman was his only option if he wanted to have his dignity.

“Janus,” he said after a beat of silence. Roman tilted his head and tried to process what he just heard.

“Your name is Janus?”

“Yes.”

“What an enchanting name for an enchanting siren.”

“Siren? Oh no, I wouldn’t be here if I were a siren,” Janus chuckled, “I wouldn’t have the chains if I were.”

“But your voice is far too beautiful to be anything else!” Roman gasped, not noticing the way Janus bristled.

“And your ass is simply fantastic but you don’t see me assuming you’re a marathon runner!” the mer hissed, causing Roman to flush. 

“Either you find my butt to be as spectacular as it is, or I said something wrong.”

“Considering I have no idea what your ass looks like, the second option is best,” Janus retorted and crossed his arms, “Mers do  **_not_ ** casually comment on voices, it’s incredibly taboo and rude to do so.” 

“My apologies,” Roman winced, “I have much to learn about your kind that this ship will never teach me. I will leave you to rest if you would like.”

“You can stay if you want. All I need is for you to get some water to dump on my head.”

“I shall do so post haste! I can only imagine how awful it must be to be dried out and turning into a salt sculpture!” Roman said and stood up. Janus sighed as he scurried off. He was regretting this decision already.


	8. Chapter 8

The next night, Roman made his rounds with one goal in mind: get the key to Janus’ cuffs. The poor thing had to be desperate to get back to his home and possible family, and this ship was a nightmare. Roman’s stomach churned at the thought of being a living specimen, meant to be observed and measured without any regards to his humanity—humanity, that was a rather unfitting word considering Janus was not human. 

Roman doused his lantern and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. This was a stealth mission and he had to be invisible, but not blind. He was the crashing of the waves below the hull, there and just common enough to go undetected, creeping to the captain’s door as soon as his eyes adjusted. 

Silence except for the ambient sea and snoring—Roman carefully pushed the door open, attempting to avoid the creak that came with the salt air. Inside the cabin it was darker than outside but Roman was able to manage. 

He crept up to the cluttered desk, littered with maps, navigation tools, and odd instruments used for dissection. Roman’s stomach churned at the sight of them, especially a pair of tweezers with a bloodied golden scale resting inside them. He had to get Janus off of the ship as quickly as possible! He had to find the keys.

Despite looking through the papers and drawers, Roman found nothing on or in the desk. He turned his attention to the bed, and its occupant. Logan was sleeping soundly on top of the covers. He was still wearing his deep blue coat, letting it fan around his waist. The captain even had his glasses still on his nose! 

Roman had never been so careful in his life, creeping up to a sleeping man and digging through his pockets. A pocket watch, a handkerchief, a spare pair of spectacles–no none of these were his target. Roman carefully went for the other pocket and grinned as his fingers brushed over a large metal ring. He slipped it out, along with all the ship’s keys and held them up to make sure that he had them all. But that action could prove costly, especially with the way they jingled.

“Remus?” Logan mumbled groggily, not exactly awake. It made Roman’s heart stop.

“Go away, ‘m not cuddlin’ an octopus,” he continued and hid his face in his pillow. Roman sighed out of relief. He could have a little fun with this.

“Aw, but Logurt, Geoffrey loves you!” Roman said in his brother’s voice.

“Love is fake”

“You love me though.”

“Accuse me of that again and I’ll dissect your living corpse,” Logan grumbled and started snoring again. Roman winced and hurried out of the cabin. He was going to go through hell for freeing Janus if Logan was capable of that kind of threat in his sleep! 

Getting down the deck was far too easy. Roman was adjusted to a darker setting and managed to avoid tripping over any stray ropes, crates, and barrels. His goal was the pair of tubs with the handsome mer sitting in them impatiently. 

“Janus, I have the keys!” Roman cheered quietly and knelt by Janus’ tail. The rust on that cuff was seeping onto his scales, making the poor mer stiff and uncomfortable. He had to be even more uncomfortable in the air. Roman fumbled with the keys with that in mind.

“Excellent, now take your time, I haven’t been assaulted and drying all day,” Janus droned bitterly in his stagnant pools of old seawater. Roman brushed off his snark as best he could and found the old key for that old cuff. The sound of the lock clicking open was music to both of their ears. Roman removed the metal and set it on the deck and grinned up at Janus.

“My arms are still trapped, it’s no time to celebrate your victory.” Janus huffed. Roman wanted to argue but he got a better look at the mer. There was a large chunk of scales missing from his tail and a brutal scab in their place. There was some bruising on his torso where someone had to hold him down to keep him from thrashing too much. Roman’s blood boiled, and if it weren’t for Janus’ arms, he would have gone and given Logan a piece of his mind. 

“I am so sorry,” Roman said and got up to get to the other cuffs. Janus hissed and shook his head.

“You can make it up to me by freeing me faster.”

“I’m working as fast as I can!” Roman retorted and flipped through the keys, “A little patience with me, please!” He found the right key and unlocked the cuff on Jay’s wrist. With that one down and set on the deck, Roman leaned over the tub and worked on the other side.

Janus leaned back, away from Roman’s billowy shirt that just had to fall open. Humans might be weird about some touches, but Janus was not interested in any more human contact than he needed, even if Roman was warm and rescuing him. He wasn’t tempted to cuddle up to the human for some comfort after all he endured,  _ not at all _ ! 

The clang of metal against wood pulled Janus from his internal debate. Roman’s hand was on his back between his shoulder blades. 

“I need you to wrap your arms around my neck,” Roman said, “So I can carry you to the edge.”

“Okay,” Janus said questioningly and locked his hands around Roman’s neck, pressing their torsos together with his bag at his hip. Janus didn’t shiver. Roman would be willing to argue that statement, but decided not to comment. He stood, hooking his free arm under Janus’ tail, well below the gills, and grunted. 

“You’ll need to lift your tail, can you do that?” Roman asked, surprisingly unperturbed by the mer’s weight. Janus lifted his tail and clung to Roman for dear life.

“Hurry,” Janus hissed, and Roman was not about to argue that point. Janus was heavy. He stumbled to the edge of the ship.

“There we go,” Roman grunted and held Janus over the edge of the ship, letting the waves below call Janus home, “I hope our paths will cross again under better circumstances.”

“It’s not farewell yet.” Janus hummed and wrapped his tail around Roman, pushing him over the edge with him. The cold sea welcomed the pair, whether they were ready or not.


	9. Chapter 9

The sound of seagulls overhead called Roman from sleep. He grunted and blinked, realizing he was warm and dry. The sand below his fingers was unfamiliar and soft, a far cry from his bunk on the TSS Crofters. The bright sky overhead was still except for the few clouds ghosting across the sky. He was not on any ship, but he had no idea where he was.

“Ah, you’re awake.” a smooth voice greeted him. Roman jolted upright and craned his neck to look back at the source. 

Janus was sitting by the remains of a campfire with his knees curled up to his chest. Wait—knees? And his skin, it was a natural human tone, not orange. Was that his shirt wrapped around the mer's waist?

"What happened? Where am I?" 

"You freed me from that ship. I dragged you down with me, and I brought you here,” Janus replied calmly as Roman’s memories came back to him. He was seething and rightly so.

“You dragged me overboard!? What good did that do you?! You have a human who can’t survive in the ocean stuck on an island with you! Did you even think about what bringing me along would entail!? I thought you only wanted to be free!”

“Roman, while I understand your anger, I have every reason to have brought you with me. You want to become one of my kind, correct?”

“Yes but you said—”

“I couldn’t trust you then. As a sea witch, I am capable of transforming you. I need to gather a few things to make the ointment, and then I have to take you to my reef. You have too much to learn,” Janus cut him off and stood, untying the shirt and letting it hit the sand, “I’ll be back before sunset, do yourself a favor and gather some food and firewood. I’ll need that fire too.”

“You’re just going to leave me here?” Roman scoffed in disbelief.

“I would take you with me if you want to drown. I stayed with you for the past two days while you were passed out, so do keep suggesting I’m going to abandon you, it makes it so much more likely I’ll grant your greatest wish,” Janus said with a good dash of sarcasm. Roman pouted and crossed his arms.

“You had better be back well before sunset.”

“I have every intention of returning quickly. Do find that firewood before I return,” Janus said and sauntered down the shore and into the shallows. Roman watched him lazily swagger into the sea, transfixed by his oddly prim gait, among other things. 

Janus sprung forward, diving into the waves as his tail returned, creeping up his legs. It was incredible to witness. The sun glinting off his scales, the translucent fin breaking into the waves like a splash of gold, Roman was mesmerized, if only for a moment. 

As soon as Janus was gone, the weight of their conversation hit Roman. He clenched his fists and held them to his chest as he squealed. He was going to be a merman! He was gonna sing and swim and talk to fish and crabs and collect human artifacts! He could hardly contain himself! He had to hurry so Janus could turn him as soon as possible.

* * *

Roman was struggling to light the fire when Janus returned. The splash and subsequent slap of a fishtail on the sand were his only warnings before a bag got thrown at him. 

"That's one way to greet someone!" Roman huffed without any real bite to his words. Janus glared at him and sprinkled a mix of crushed sea shells on his tail. He mumbled to himself in a language Roman couldn’t understand and waited as his tail started glowing.

Roman watched in horror and awe as Janus’ tail split right down the middle with a horrible wet crunching sound following the fissure. His fins and scales retracted into his skin, which was losing its obnoxious orange tint. Roman couldn’t stand to look at how Jay’s feet formed. Making the fire was much more interesting.

“You don’t have a fire going yet,” Janus noted, coming up the beach with a scowl.

“It hasn’t been easy with the wind and my lack of expertise," Roman retorted, "I did manage to gather some coconuts and fruit while you were away, so do help yourself." 

Janus grabbed his bag and sat by the not-lit fire. He pulled out two pieces of flint and quickly set the kindling on fire, blowing on it so it would spread. Roman grinned and got on his stomach, blowing to make the fire spread to the larger sticks and logs. He was at least proud that he knew how to set up the wood.

“Thank you for that,” Janus said as he fished a large oyster shell from his bag. Roman smiled at him and watched him once the flames were blazing. Janus had different crushed shells, slime, and what looked like a jellyfish in that giant shell. He was mashing it together with a pestle, focused on getting the ingredients mixed. He was handsome like this with his brow furrowed and his eyes locked on a target. 

“Do you think you’ll miss anyone on land once you turn?” Janus asked and set the large shell in the fire. Roman blinked and came out of his thoughts. That was an important question. 

“My brother maybe, but that isn’t going to stop me. I want this more than I want to keep breathing.”

“Then you will be thrilled when morning comes.”

* * *

Remus paced from the bow to the stern, fists clenched in rage. No one dared stand in his way while he was plotting the end of that mer. No one, except for the captain. 

“Remus, return to your station at once,” Logan ordered and grabbed his arm. Remus snarled and tore away from him.

“That siren tricked and killed my brother and you expect me to be able to sit still!?”

“We are currently working on turning around to retrieve the specimen. You will leave it unharmed. Go back to your station. Now.”


	10. Chapter 10

"Roman, wake up," Janus said and nudged him. Roman groaned and blinked up at him, his features silhouetted against the rising sun. 

"An angel?" A groggy Roman asked, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He flushed when he realized that he was talking to Janus. Janus smiled at him, hiding the fact that he was mildly flustered, and shook his head.

“I’m afraid I can only swim, Roman. It’s time to get up, we wouldn’t want anyone seeing you transform, now would we?” Janus cooed and scooted back. He went to the remains of their campfire and removed the large seashell. 

"Strip and rub this on your skin, from your toes to your hip at the very least," he ordered and stood as Roman got up and shed his pants, pulling his charm from the pocket. Roman stared at him, wondering why he wasn't averting his gaze. 

"Should I use it all?" he asked instead and took the potion from Janus. The mer shrugged and headed towards the ocean.

"Focus on everything below the hip and then come to the water's edge with whatever is left." 

"You won't help?" Roman teased. 

"Do you want me touching your naked body?" Janus paused, "I've come to understand that humans are averse to that kind of contact unless if it's sexual in nature and wanted.

"Fair enough. I'll be there posthaste, my Golden Dottyback!" Roman cheered, letting Janus enter the water, silently flustered, to regain his tail. The giddy sailor wasted no time digging his fingers into the gooey pink ointment and rubbing it on his skin. It smelled terrible and it was sticky, but he wouldn't let those mild discomforts stop him! 

"Janus!" Roman called and ran to the water's edge with the shell, not getting his feet wet. Janus smiled at him and curled his hand, calling him forward. Roman squealed and ran into the waves, unconcerned with the temperature, until he was waist deep next to Janus. It was cold!

"This is going to hurt, you poor unfortunate soul," Janus warned and took the shell, placing it and its contents in his bag. He wrapped his arms around Roman's chest, just under his arms and waited. Roman's question died on his lips as Janus dragged him under. 

Roman gasped under the waves, letting all of his breath leave his lungs. He struggled against Janus, who only swam deeper in response. Roman thrashed and kicked until his legs burned too much to move. It was as if someone poured acid on his bones. He let out a silent scream as the bones dissolved and his legs became a mass of goo. He was dizzy and drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to breathe, only aware of the burning on his sides.

And then he gulped down water, the gills on his hips fully formed and working! He blinked a few times and held up his hands. Yes, his lower half was in agony, but he could still be impressed by the red webbing between his fingers and the bright yellow pigment in his skin. 

“You’re doing well, Roman, just keep breathing,” Janus said, his cool voice soothing Roman’s mind. At least until the fins on his arms and back broke through and fanned out, Janus made sure to avoid touching those. Roman threw his head back and squeezed his eyes shut as he screamed, bubbles shooting from his mouth.

“You can look at your tail now,” Janus said once the screaming ceded and floated away from him, “The inner workings are still getting sorted, but you can see just how gorgeous you look.” Roman timidly opened his eyes and stared down at the tail that replaced his legs.It was bright red with a wide lower fin. The scales had hints of pink and yellow and it shone in the morning light. The way it curled and floated with the current was enchanting. Roman was just as impressed with the gills, moving as he breathed. He couldn’t stop staring at the changes, even after the pain subsided.

“You’re a mer now,” Janus said, trying to hide that he was staring at the new mer. Roman looked good in red. 

“I can’t believe it!” Roman cheered, accidentally propelling himself forward. Janus grabbed his arm and coaxed him back with a soft giggle. 

“Every move you make will make you move, do be careful. For now, just hold onto me and I’ll take you to the reef. I’m sure they’ll be  _ thrilled _ to see me back with a new face.

“The poison vents you are!” a deep, angry voice rose from the depths. Janus groaned and ran his free hand down his face. Roman was rightly confused and squirming to get away. The mer who said that came into view, her black and purple tail shining in the light. Her arms were crossed in front of her and she was the furthest thing from happy with fangs bared.

“Virgil, what a pleasant surprise.”

“I told you so! Do you know how long I was tracking that ship? Dear Salacia, I thought you were gonna be a floater by the time I found you! And what for? You were off about to get some tail?!”

“So good to see you too,” Janus droned and motioned to the new mer, “Virgil, this is Roman, the person who helped me escape that horrible ship. Roman, this is my oldest friend, Virgil.”

“Is he going to hurt me?”

“HE!?” Virgil snapped and hissed at him.

“Did I mention I just turned him? Because he was a human up until now,” Janus shrugged and redirected his attention to Roman, “Virgil isn’t a witch like I am, she is a siren. Gender doesn’t exist the same way down here.”

“What?"

“Gender is made up, and humans take it all too seriously. Our pronouns are based on what we do for our reefs, since it’s impossible to sort out our people based on sexual organs.”

“Okay, no gender, but what do you mean it’s impossible?”

“It’s how we’re built. Secondary characteristics aside, like facial hair and boobs, the majority of us have both parts.”

“So I have—? Am I going to suffer through a period? Do I need extra protection when I—?” Roman rambled in a panic. 

"I'm not sure we’re the right ones to handle this, Jay. We need to get Pat and Ems. You need all the help you can get!" Virgil said with a scowl. It was time to go to the reef. 


	11. Chapter 11

The reef was beautiful, full of sand huts and coral dwellings! Roman followed Janus and Virgil closely to the very edge of the town to a large cave. 

"Patton, I found him!" Virgil yelled into the cave. Roman looked to Janus expectantly. 

"Ne and nis partner are like the parents of our small family. You'll find ne is patient and welcoming as long as you don't stare," he said and gently squeezed Roman's hand, a human comfort.

It was a much needed comfort because Roman's heart was racing, thundering in his chest. The tentacles that crept out of the cave first were long and snake-like, absolutely gigantic compared to the ones he was used to seeing. The creature inside moved far too slowly for Roman's liking. And then...

"Janus! Oh thank Salacia! You had me worried sick!" a tentacled mer with blue skin and bouncy curls gasped and darted out to pull Janus to nis chest, inadvertently dragging Roman away from his anchor.

"Patton," Janus grumbled with his face squished between Patton's boobs. The ecstatic mer coiled nis tentacles around him and squealed. 

"I'm so glad you're home safe and sound! Emmie is gonna be so thrilled when zey get back!" 

"Pardon me," Roman peeped nervously as Virgil pulled him to her side so he wouldn't drift away. Patton's gaze snapped to him and a bright grin took over nis face.

"Hi! I'm Patton, your friendly reef storm caster! Are you one of Janus' little friends?" 

"Pat!" Janus whined and squirmed to break free of nis grip, "Let me go!" 

"Oops!" Patton yelped and released him. Janus shook it off and gestured to Roman. 

"Pat, this is my remora, Roman. He will continue to use his human pronouns for the time being. Roman, Patton is an old friend, a central figure in our odd family." 

"You can call me Dad!" ne giggled and held a fist to his chest, showing Roman his knuckles, “That right there is part of a standard friendly greeting.” Roman blinked and mimicked nem.

"Like this?”

“Exactly! You learn quick! Come on in and get cozy! Jay, Vee, and I have so much to teach you! It’s gonna be great, don’t you worry!" Patton cheered and wrapped a tentacle around Roman's waist. With little warning ne dragged Roman into the cave. 

It was dark at first, but then bioluminescent algae on the walls lit up the cozy den. There were a few raised bumps of sand around a cauldron and two large oyster shell cabinets on the back wall. Patton placed Roman on one of the sand dunes and swam to the left cabinet. 

"You must be starving! Transformation is a doozy, so I've heard!" Patton giggled as Virge and Janus floated in. 

"It's quite alright, Patton, I'm—"

"—Unfamiliar with our customs and unaware of how rude it is to reject any food offering," Virgil cut in and glared at Roman. Roman winced and shrank into himself. 

"Play nice, Virgil!" Patton chided, "This is all new to him and there's no reason to get huffy." 

"Why don't you go to the surface, soak up some sun, it might sweeten that bitter attitude," Janus hummed and lounged next to Roman. Virgil hissed at him and left. 

"Why would he need to get some sun?" 

"He's purple!" Patton giggled and closed the cabinet, "Purple and green mers are like pants!" 

"Plants, Patton, plants," Janus clarified, "They photosynthesize. They still have to eat like the rest of us, but they tend to have more energy." 

"Photo what now?" 

"They make their own food, sugar, because of their skin color," Janus explained in the simplest way possible. Science on land clearly wasn't as evolved so he could suffer the consequences of his statement rather than the headache of explaining chlorophyll, retinal, and photosynthesis, even if the curious new remora was adorable when confused.

"And does it present any social issues?" 

"Nothing more than the occasional slight, like your—what do you call them?—dumb blonde jokes. We adopt a whole rainbow of skin colors, it's the lower half that presents challenges." 

"That's right," Patton said awkwardly and placed a dried fish by Roman's hip, "But it's better than the horror stories I've heard about humans." Roman wilted and picked up the snack, a whole, salted, somehow dried sardine, and examined it, unsure of the best way to eat it.

"There's a lot of history behind that, a lot of tragedy, so unless you want to go into that, Patton, let's teach Roman the basics." 

"Yeah, Papa needs Emmie to help with that. We'll talk about that after the afternoon hunt, or the dusk hunt," Patton said and went back to the cabinet, in need of some food nemself.

"The hunt?" Roman asked, still examining the fish with an adorable pout. Did he eat the whole thing?

"Yeah," Virgil said as she returned, a little bit calmer than before, "There's three hunts a day, dawn, afternoon, and dusk. The hunters go out and round up enough fish for the reef so the rest of us can do our jobs." 

"Live fish?" Roman squeaked. 

"Yeah. Dead fish attract sharks." 

"And like sharks, mers go into a feeding frenzy during these hunts. We're all in the center of the reef so we don't go off and wreak havoc," Janus added coolly, "Except for Virgil, her frenzies are always stress related, so it takes longer for her to snap out of it." 

"Gee, thanks for adding that detail, you seahorsing nematode!" she sneered and glanced between him and Roman. Janus flushed and bared his teeth. 

A fit of hissing erupted between the two, and Roman was just not interested in any childish quarrels. He looked to Patton and watched nem bite into the middle of nis fish, and stare at him with the tail end hanging from nis mouth. Ne motioned with nis hands for Roman to copy nem, and he did. 

He was amazed at how easily his teeth cut through the fish, including the bone. It was delicious and just the right amount of salty for his taste. He could hear the instinct in the back of his head telling him to devour but he ignored it. 

"This is really good!" Roman exclaimed, "better than anything from on land, which is great since I probably shouldn't ever go back!" Janus and Virgil stopped abruptly. Patton swallowed the last of nis treat and blinked at him. 

"We have spells and stuff for you to go back for a while," ne said concernedly.

"Yeah, but my brother is kinda vengeful and Logan wants his specimen so they're both probably looking for me and Janus so it's better to stay down here."

"Jay!" Virgil shouted as Janus darted out of the cave. She glared at Roman with more venom than ever and followed her friend. Roman didn't think and hurried after them. Patton wilted and shook nis head. 


	12. Chapter 12

Roman's swimming was on par with a toddler on land. He didn't care if he looked stupid unable to keep floating at the same depth and unable to control his speed, he had to find Janus. Virgil went out past the reef to search the perimeter, Patton went into the main part of the reef, and Roman was just desperate to find the handsome mer who granted his life-long wish. It led him to a tall field of kelp, just the sort of thing to trip him up while still learning to swim, and he was tempted to turn back and look elsewhere when he heard crying.

“Janus!” Roman shouted over the grass-like field that swayed with the current. The crying stopped abruptly, but there was no response. Roman huffed to himself and dove in, looking for the source. 

Blindly pushing past the greenery, Roman moved forward cautiously, not entirely sure that he would find the source of the sobs, or that the source was indeed Janus. But then he came into a clearing and his heart broke. Janus was there, curled around an old chest, with blood-shot eyes and a clenched fist.

“Janus?” Roman asked and floated closer, aware that Janus was having a moment and might want some space.

“What do you want?”

“You left so suddenly, I was worried, we all were. Is something wrong?” 

“Not at all! I just wanted to dart out of the cave and cry for fun!” Janus snapped, baring his teeth. Roman crossed his arms and pouted.

“Tell me what’s wrong, Jay, let me help you as best I can.” 

“You got your wish, you got your dream, and what do I get for that? Losing any chance of achieving mine!” 

“Your dream?” Roman asked and lowered himself to sit in the sand. Janus glared at him and brought his hands to his chest.

“You think only humans dream?”

“I was asking for you to elaborate. There’s still hope,” Roman said and placed a hand on his shoulder. Janus sighed and shook his head. 

“There is no hope. You said it yourself, I can never go back to the surface, not with that ship looking for us.”

“What about the surface is so important to you?”

“Most of the reef knows, but I suppose neither Patton nor Virgil told you. My father is a human. I was born on land and then whisked away into the sea. My other parent, my mother as the humans would say, refused to let me stay on land with him. Xe suffered quite a bit because of that relationship, I had to live with xir struggle until the sharks got xem during a hunt. I want to see my father, in person. That foolish hope is what brings me to investigate passing ships, why I was caught, since exploring the land doesn’t yield any results.” 

“Janus, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

“Of course you didn’t. I never told you,” Janus scoffed and held out his hand, showing Roman an old tarnished locket shaped like an oval, green from its time in the ocean. Roman picked it up, his fingers barely brushing Janus’ palm and opened it. 

The man in the picture had the same jaw structure and eyes as Janus, but his nose and cheeks were different. It was a faded photo, but Roman could still make out that face and recognize it. That was Janus’ father? There was a good reason his other parent left!

“You don’t want to meet this man.”

“What?”

“I know him, Vester. He’s a bastard. He left his wife when she was pregnant, had an affair, doesn’t know any of his children by name or how many there are. He’s been living on the streets, unable to keep a job because he turns to the bottle and attacks. He is mean, cold-hearted, and violent. I cannot tell you how many times he’s tried to harm Remus, even if Remus  _ did _ provoke him most of those times it’s still not right.”

“I still want to see him, even if it’s just to prove that my parent was right and I am one of the best things that will never be a part of his pathetic life. I don’t want to be a human, but I have that connection to land, and I like learning about humans. It’s part of me and I want to be able to foster it.” 

Roman pouted as a silence fell between them. He closed the locket and ran his thumb over it as he thought. There had to be a way to fix this. It was his fault mostly. If he stayed on the ship, Remus wouldn’t be out for revenge, and he knew that Remus would definitely plan on destroying the person or thing that took his twin away, Remus held grudges. Sure he would have to fight Logan until they reached port, but he could handle that. What could he do to convince them both to stop? 

“Janus! Janus!” someone shouted in the distance. Roman had no idea who that voice belonged to, but the way Janus jolted upright had him on edge. 

“Emile!” he shouted and shot up, over the kelp field. Roman followed him, surprised he forgot he could swim over the kelp in the first place. Once they were both above the kelp Janus flinched as a blur of a mer crashed into him.

“Emile, what’s wrong?” Janus gasped as a mer with a pink and yellow tail clung to him. Zey were frazzled and terrified, and then they saw Roman behind him, sheepishly holding his fist to his chest, hoping he was doing it right. 

“Oh hello, I didn’t realize Janus brought a little koi with him! I’m Emile!” zey beamed at him.

“I’m Roman, uh, Jay’s remora. I think that was the term he used,” Roman said and rubbed his neck. Emile’s eyes went wide. Zey held Janus at arm’s length and shook zir head.

“Janus, what did you do? The ship Virgil was chasing is headed this way! I got word from Elliot and we have to hide you more than everyone else!” Emile gasped, “Corbin barely escaped when xe investigated it!” 

“Xe what?”

“Yeah! The human with the funny face anemone is super angry and the one with the–cups—no wait, glasses—is really scary and too calm. They’re both after you specifically! I nearly fainted when I heard about Corbin getting out of there!”

“If only there were a way to change their minds,” Roman mumbled, “At least Logan, and I can talk to my brother. If I’m not dead he might have a change of heart.”

“That would take a siren—” Janus sighed, and stopped himself. He glanced between the two of them and bolted. They followed him, Emile already anticipating a plan.


	13. Chapter 13

“Emile! Thank Salacia you’re back—Patton and I—” Virgil gasped when she reentered the cave, unable to find Janus, until now.

“Ah Virgil, you arrived at the perfect time! I was about to go looking for you,” Janus said as he lounged next to Roman and Emile. Virgil’s fins rose defensively. She did not like the pleading looks on their faces.

“What are you up to? Is Patton back?”

“No, ne is still out looking for Jay,” Roman said, “And we were just talking about getting rid of that ship.” Virgil crossed her arms and stared at Janus, expecting a better explanation.

“Virgil, relax, get comfortable,” Janus hummed and motioned to one of the dunes, “you’ll want to, for this conversation.” Virgil reluctantly lounged on her favorite dune and waited.

“Virge, you know that ship you were tailing, well it’s headed back this way,” Emile said, making her eyes go wide, “And Jay here has an idea that we kinda need you for if you’ll hear him out.”

“Yes, it’s more of a result from a brainstorming session, but it’s mostly Janus’ work,” Roman cut it, “Not that either of us were completely useless, mind you.”

“Spit it out!” Virgil hissed, her scales creeping up her torso.

“Neap tide, Virgil, neap tide,” Emile cooed as Janus resituated himself.

“We need to get that ship to divert its course, and we need a siren to do it. Are you following?”

“Yeah. What do you need from that siren, I’m not agreeing to anything until I know what I’m supposed to be doing.”

“It’s simple, you know the crags a mile south of the reef? Get the ship near them, between the rocks if you must, and keep them from coming toward our reef. And before you ask how, your main goal is to get into the Captain’s head.” 

“You want me to go after one person in particular? On a ship full of people?” Virgil pouted, “It’s not gonna work unless I have back up and more details about the guy I’m going after.”

“Well I’m you’re back up silly!” Emile giggled, “I have my ukulele and I’m ready! We don’t really have the time to get permission to get the entire school involved, but I know we can do it!” 

Virgil shuddered as a current rolled past her and shook her head. She looked between the trio and waited. Emile was great but not quite enough back up for this mission. It was going to be hell on high water.

“His name is Logan, he’s a natural philosopher, and he likes to pretend there’s logic behind what he’s doing,” Roman said and rolled his eyes, “he’s a stickler for the rules and honestly a pain.”

“Okay, and do I have to alter my appearance? Chest size, hair length, eye color, weight?” Virgil asked a little irritably. Sirens played on aesthetic attraction as well for some potency, and she needed as much information as she could get.

“You have a tail and fins. That’s the most aesthetically pleasing stuff to him right now,” Roman shrugged. 

“He sounds like a real piece of work. So alter his focus, okay, and the rest of the crew?”

“If you can get them to avoid crashing.”

“So you definitely need a double song? Jeez! You are so lucky Jay wants to flip the coral with you.”

“I have no idea what you mean by that,” Roman pouted while Janus bristled.

“She means that Jay wants to copulate—” Emile began only to receive a death glare from an embarrassed sea witch. Roman flushed and averted his gaze. Janus, the golden beauty who granted him his wish, found him that attractive? Even if he were still a bumbling fool?

“That’s quite enough for now. Last I checked we were planning to redirect the ship and its captain. Keep focused!” Janus hissed.

“Fine! So tomorrow just after the hunt we’ll go to the crags, I’ll make myself bait, sing, and Ems will play to make the spell stronger. I don’t have to alter my appearance and I’m giving my song two meanings. Focused enough for you?”

“Yes. Now that we’re all settled, and in agreement—” Janus glanced around the cave to make sure there were no questions, “—let’s find Patton and let nem know where we’re headed and then go to the main reef. The hunt is upon us.”

“Sure thing!” Emile beamed, “I still owe nem a few dozen kisses and cuddles!”

“You two are obnoxiously cute, I’m losing my appetite,” Virgil huffed. She had lost her appetite the second she learned she would have to sing alone, and a double layered spell no less. She left the cave with a wake of bubbles behind her. Janus, Emile, and Roman followed, prepared and then not exactly ready at the same time. 

Once the four were a good distance away from the mouth of the cave, Patton came out of hiding, nis skin no longer mimicking the cave walls. Ne was scared, and started plotting the second ne heard not only Virgil, but also Emile, would face that ship alone. They needed that ship gone, at the crags, and what better way to get rid of a ship was there than a storm. Patton was a weather mage, ne could provide that! All ne needed was the time to strike.


	14. Chapter 14

Janus was mildly perturbed as he guided Roman to the rock formation. The water was rough and it was as if a storm were brewing, which should not have been the case for this time of year. Roman seemed to be of the same mind about the weather. Up ahead Virgil and Emile seemed less than worried, probably because this was the kind of thing they were used to. Crashing ships was easier with bad weather. But it didn’t feel right.

“Virgil! Emile! Are you sure about this?” Janus shouted to them.

“It’s your flippin plan!” Virgil shot back with an added hiss. Emile shrugged meekly, since she was correct. Roman pouted and watched them swim to the surface, not willing to go up there himself, not yet. 

“Goldie, do you think this will work?" 

"Knowing my success rate with plans, no. But since it's not all mine there's a chance it will." 

"Can we stay here?" 

"Of course. It's better to stay out of Virgil's way." 

It was a wise decision. Emile got lucky, only perching on a rock just above the surface. Virgil had to climb to the top so her voice would carry. That was a problem with the storm coming in. 

She flopped on top of the rock with a thud and scanned the grey horizon. The TSS Crofters was nearing, close enough she could see the crew running about, desperate to escape the rising waves and pouring rain. This was no ordinary storm, and she knew exactly the mer who would conjure it. Ne was dead meat.

“This just got harder–Em, how loud can you get?!” Virgil shouted down to Emile. Zey didn’t exactly hear her, but zey knew that they were dealing with Patton’s work. Zey smiled up at Virgil and held up four webbed fingers, the equivalent of a thumbs-up. Virgil sighed and rolled her neck. At least Emile was capable. She opened her mouth as the ship drew nearer and sang.

“Captain!” Remus shouted as he ran to the bow where Logan was standing stiffly. The water on the deck, the ship rocking, and the wind made him stumble a little but this was serious! And Remus hated seriousness!

“A siren, Remus, look up ahead,” Logan said flatly over the gale, “If we lost the one specimen, perhaps we can capture a better one.”

“Sir, it’s pouring rain, the waves are higher than me last time we stopped by Alexandria, and we’re headed straight into an outcropping nastier than Jimbo’s mangled hand bones! Are you kidding me?! We don’t need to get another specimen now! The one you lost was a little bitch anyway!” 

“You want to avenge Roman, correct? Then why are you protesting?” Logan scoffed, “That ‘little bitch’ is why you don’t sleep or eat. This is a golden opportunity.”

“The ship and the crew. They didn’t sign up for this!”

“A sacrifice that might have to be made to further natural philosophy. Check your humours and be prepared to navigate and take a new specimen on board.” 

“Save some dick to go in your pants,” Remus huffed and headed for the main sails as the rain battered his face. If Logan wasn’t going to act like a ship captain, someone else had to, and that someone was him! He made it two steps when a horrible screeching noise hit his ears. 

Remus covered his ears and glanced around the ship. The crew was scrambling to handle the sails and the rudders. But then he spun around and saw Logan, staring off at the sea in a trance. Remus looked to the crew again and noticed their trance-like states. He reached into his pocket and ran his thumb over the tiny turtle carving, it was hot to the touch, a magic charm that reacted to sirens. That’s why mers tended to carry them, and why he wasn’t transfixed. A siren took his idiot brother, a siren was not about to take him and his ship too! 

“It’s working, Vee!” Emile nearly screamed up to her as zey played, helping to carry her voice. Virgil flashed four fingers to zem and focused on her singing. She couldn’t let her magic wear off or let up for anything—those sailors were hearing the most dulcet tones even if all she was doing was screeching and screaming into the void. That ship had to get past the rocks and she could get back into the sea to strangle Janus and his remora koi, metaphorically. 

But it’s never that simple. As the ship passed her rock, she caught sight of one sailor glaring at her, his hair whipping around his face and a fire in his eyes. He was ready to kill. Virgil inched back, not faltering with her song, watching him like a hawk.

BAM

To Virgil’s horror, the sailor leapt over the side of the ship and onto her rock. It was as much a miracle that he wasn’t affected by the song as it was a miracle he didn’t slip in the storm. Scales crept up her torso as he drew his sword. 

Virgil dodged the blade as Remus swung it at her head. She kept up her screeching, crawling away from each blow on her hands. The fire burning through Remus was alight in his eyes and as scorching as the lightning in the background. He was pushing Virgil dangerously close to the edge, to the point where her tail slipped over the edge. 

“Vee!” Emile shrieked and stuck zir head underwater, still playing, “Jay! Jay! We’ve got a turtle!” 

Janus froze and grabbed Roman's hand. 

"Details!" 

"Funny face anemone!"

"Remus!" Roman shouted and swam as fast as he could toward the crags, dragging Janus with him in the rough sea 

The scales on Virgil's body covered her face as she fumbled to get away and keep the ship from crashing. It was far too much for one mer to handle, and Virgil knew she was going to snap from it. She was lucky that the ship escaped the outcropping just before her pupils became narrow slits and her nails became claws. 

"Oh shi—" Remus yelped as Virge lunged at him with her claws and fangs bared. She caught him by the throat and dragged him over the edge, his sword lost to the sea. They crashed into the waves, Virgil biting and clawing at his torso. Remus was kicking and thrashing, throwing punch after punch to the armor-like scales. He had to escape, he had to breathe, he could fight and end this siren after his lungs stopped burning. He would do it, for Roman.

"Virgil!”

“Remus!” 

Virgil couldn’t tear her focus away from tearing this human to shreds, much to the pair’s dismay. Janus and Roman were drawing nearer, and they caught Remus’ attention. The mer that escaped was familiar, but the one next to him, yellow and red-tailed, that was beyond a doubt Roman, even his voice was the same! There was no point in revenge, not if Roman was alive and well, and Remus couldn’t breathe. He got one final look at Roman and went limp as darkness took over him.

“Remus!” Roman shouted, his scales creeping up his torso, and hurriedly tore Virgil away from his brother. Janus swooped in and grabbed Remus as Roman wrestled Virgil away from him. The claws and hissing would be cause for Janus to break up the new altercation, not to mention Roman was involved, but he had to get Remus to the surface! 

“Virgil! Roman!” Emile gasped and swam as fast as zey could to get to them. Janus let out a sigh of relief and hurried. There had to be one low rock where he could put Remus! And there was! He only hoped time was on his side!


	15. Chapter 15

Roman broke through the surface with only a few scratches on him. He searched the area frantically, trying to find Remus and Janus. The storm might have calmed but the panic and fear inside the newly made mer was raging far more violently than anyone could imagine.

That’s when he spotted the returning sun glinting off golden scales. Janus had found a place and as Roman swam nearer, he could see the mer giving Remus mouth to mouth. He was only a little jealous as he witnessed it, flopping onto the rock with a wet slap. 

“Roman,” Janus sighed and sat up, “It’s not working.” He ran a hand through his hair and slumped his shoulders. Roman looked from him to his brother and stared at him. Despite the bloody scratches littering his chest and a couple on his face, Remus didn’t look particularly dead. Roman stared at him closely and noticed the faintest twitch in his chest and the light breeze tickling his mustache. 

Roman pushed Janus aside and leaned over Remus. Janus caught his balance and was ready to tear Roman a new one verbally until the new mer opened his mouth.

“Alas! I have failed you again! My god, why, why couldn’t I have been faster!?” Roman wailed dramatically and threw his arms to his chest, “Not even the breath of life from the one who breathed his first breath with him could save my brother!” 

“What?! Gross!” Remus yelped and rolled on his side. Roman smirked and crossed his arms as Remus spit on the rock and gagged. Janus was impressed, not only with the technique but also by Roman’s dramatic prowess. 

“You should’ve let me drown! I wanted the hot fish to try and revive me!” Remus whined. 

“I was the one performing mouth to mouth,” Janus spoke up. Remus glanced at him and looked him up and down. And then he flopped on his back with a groan. 

“You’re not the one I meant.”

“Don’t you dare say my golden darling is anything less than ethereal!” Roman snapped and quickly covered his mouth. Janus smiled shyly and shook his head. He held up his thumb and looked away. 

“Ooh!” Remus gasped and sat up with his legs splayed like a silly puppy, “Does Mr. Fairytale have a crush!?”

“I’ll crush your skull with my tail!”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time! Gimme the details! Who could have ever managed to meet your high standards?” Remus asked and giggled at the sour pout on his brother’s face. 

“Janus, forgive him, he’s delusional,” Roman scoffed. Remus stuck out his tongue, like a mature adult, at him, and then looked to Janus. The mer was flushed and smug. Remus already liked this one. 

“Is he, now? Pity. My own standards are fairly rigid, and I would hate to have you meeting them only for me not to meet yours.” 

“Ooh! Now you gotta tell me! Does he treat you like a king? He always says he would do that!” Remus asked and wiggled his shoulders. Roman groaned and hid his face in his hands. Janus was amused.

“‘Like a king?’ I’m unfamiliar with that phrase, he certainly treats me well, far better than I expected, especially since he has no idea how society works, or how to break those rules without getting caught,” Janus hummed and examined his nails. The bright grin that crossed Remus’ face made this line of questioning worth it. 

“As if you could do better on land! We have different rules depending on where you are! Different norms to follow!” Roman argued and crossed his arms. 

“And you know you broke all of them!” Remus laughed, “Except for the serious ones!”

“At least I did it with some class! I made that dress look good!”

“And I was working the corset and garters, doesn’t mean you didn’t break that norm still!”

“A dress?” Janus asked, intrigued. He honestly found them more comfortable than pants, but humans did have their oddities about clothing and that gender thing.

“Yeah with lace! But that’s nothing! One time he stole like a whole cart of bread!”

“They were going to throw it all away! There are starving people in town and you expect me to let them starve!?”

“No, but they had the shits for like a week because that bread was moldy!” Remus cackled.

“I should have let you drown.”

“But you didn’t!” Remus laughed and took in his surroundings, noting that he was stranded, “you marooned me, instead. No ships would willingly sail through these crags without a good reason, or just a reason because Lo did not have a good reason whatsoever!”

“Swim to shore, cretin, you’re the one who jumped off the ship!” Roman scoffed. Janus tapped his chin and glanced between the brothers. Swimming might work.

“I can turn you into a mer,” Janus offered, “I have enough of the potion left for one more.”

“Thanks, but I kinda like the land, and having junk to show off until someone cries for decency,” Remus shrugged.

“If you turn, there are ways to give you human legs and–junk as you call it–until you get them wet with seawater,” Janus said and pulled the gooey shell from his bag. Roman smiled and nodded at his brother, it was worth it.

“You’ll have both,” Roman added in a sing-song voice that made Remus light up.

“Alright fishface! Lube me up!” Remus cheered and stripped. Roman looked to Janus with a sheepish grin. Janus rolled his eyes and sighed, happy that out of the two of them, the feral brother was not interested in him like that. Salacia pity the poor fool he was into.


	16. Chapter 16

Virgil swam toward the surface, afraid of finding out she accidentally killed someone. Emile had calmed her down, and told her what had happened, and then calmed her down again. She managed to get her scales back down below her waist and sent Emile back to tell Patton they were alright. She just wanted some time alone, and she had to know.

Virgil poked the top of her head out above the surface and saw three people sitting on a rock, Janus and Roman were facing her, and the third was facing away from her, and it was most likely a dead body. Living humans weren’t supposed to be green. 

“Virgil, so nice of you to join us,” Roman greeted her and held his fist to his chest. Janus slid to the edge, preparing for something, something horrible if Virgil knew him that well. 

“Who’s Virgil?” the third person questioned and leaned back, balancing on his elbow. Virgil’s eyes went wide. What the hell did they do?

“She’s a siren, and Janus’ oldest friend,” Roman answered. Remus’ eyes went wide and then a coy grin crossed his lips, “She’s cute for a girl!”

“Janus I swear to Salacia—” Virgil hissed and rose up so the water barely covered her elbows.

“Remus, Remus, Remus, you poor naive fool,” Roman sighed, “Even I understood that gender simply does not exist under the sea! Pronouns come from your job!”

“Excuse me for being like five minutes into fishdom!” Remus scoffed at him and glanced at Virgil, “But you can dom this fish for however long you want!” He winked and lifted his tail into the air for show. So he was mer now, not only alive, but one of her kind, and he was cute. Virgil bared her teeth and hissed at him.

“Aw, she likes you!” Janus jeered. He was right but he didn’t have to say it! That made Remus grin. He crawled forward and gracelessly flopped into the water with a splash. Virgil looked like she would commit murder.

“So,” Remus purred when he resurfaced next to her, “What’s a cutie like you doing floating around with these losers?”

Virgil glared at him, making him shiver. This mer could kick his tail and he was into it! Then she hissed at him, letting her pupils narrow. 

Remus wiggled his eyebrows and hissed back with just as much enthusiasm. That made Virgil pause for a moment before flushing and hissing at him again, inciting a hissing war.

Roman couldn’t help but laugh at the two, knowing Remus, he could get seriously hurt if he weren’t careful. Janus scooted closer and sighed happily.

“I never thought I’d see the day someone got that kind of a hiss out of Virgil.”

“Is that actually how mers flirt?”

“Only sirens, really, since their songs are hissing, targets hear what they want or what the siren wants depending on the spell.” 

“So Remus might be a siren?”

“If he’s flirting right now, and I think he is given that violet hue on her face, then he probably has the gift.”

“So quick to pick up on flirting techniques!” Roman laughed and leaned against Janus, “he was always better at that. I tend to be more old-fashioned.”

“Oh, how so?” Janus hummed and rested his head on Roman’s shoulder.

“You want me to think of a way I flirt on the spot and explain it?”

“An example is welcome too, if you have the right inspiration.”

“I have the best inspiration leaning against me,” Roman hummed, “He shines brighter than the sun, is more mysterious than the moon, and as deep and unfathomable as the sea.” Janus shut his eyes and smiled softly as Roman continued.

“He is wittier than a pod of dolphins, as sharp as an urchin’s spine, his smile is as radiant as the dawn, his eyes are a forbidden treasure, as golden and dazzling as his scales. And if you will permit me, I would rave about his voice. If not, know that I am humbled in his presence and I wish only to hold him and praise him constantly. I grow faint every time I hear his name and I swoon at his every response.”

“Roman—" 

"I won't call it love yet, but the warmth that he brings me, even the most scalding retorts, is beyond words, beyond the most distant stars. I can see myself falling in love with him, I can see myself being by his side whether he ever comes to fall for me or not. And his name, a silken word that leaves a sweet aftertaste when I say it, is Janus." 

Roman pouted at the stunned silence radiating from the mer. He shifted nervously away, only for Jay to grab his arm.

"Do you mean that?" 

"Every word." 

"Kiss me?" 

"I thought you’d never ask,” Roman giggled and pecked his lips. But as he pulled away, Janus wrapped his arms around his shoulders and pulled him back for more.

“Rip his lips off!” Remus and Virgil shouted at them at the same time. Janus held out his hand, making a clawing shape with his fingers as the disaster duo started hissing at each other again. He didn’t really care in that moment about them, he had a new dream kissing him. 


	17. Epilogue

Roman hovered close to Janus in their shared cave. He watched Jay carefully add urchin spines to his cauldron. The pink goo hissed and bubbled as it faded to red. He was amazed still that something could boil like that without a fire, or that Jay looked so lovely when he was focused.

"Are you certain this potion will work, Goldie?" Roman asked in awe. Janus smirked and shook his head. 

"Of course, it's been ages but it should calm Virgil like when we were guppies. A trip to land to meet your mother is nerve-wracking." 

"Are you nervous?" 

"No, not really. I'm excited to meet the woman who brought you to life. Well you and Remus." 

"She and Virge will be here any minute," Roman mused. It was then that the sound of hissing floated into the cave. 

"One day you should ask Remus what they're saying. I'm curious and Virgil refuses to tell me," Janus mused and scooped the potion up in a clam shell. He swam to the entrance with Roman and pouted. 

Remus and Virgil were kissing passionately right in front of them. The sirens clearly got too invested in their hissing match and then the rest of the ocean evaporated. 

"When you eels are finished your tongue battle," Janus scoffed and studied the webbing between his fingers. Virgil darted away from Remus and flushed. Remus pouted at Jay and rolled his neck.

"We were just talking about the land thing. Up close."

"That's what you call it!" Roman jeered, "Quite an intense conversation." 

"We have a few land experiments to try. And someone got frisky!" 

" _ She _ got frisky. All because I refuse to wear plants," Virgil bristled.

"So you'll be in a dress? That's no reason to get frisky, Remus," Roman pouted

"She's gonna be so pretty! And she threatened to grow boobies! And then she threatened me with a good time if I got handsy! How am I not gonna be turned on?" 

"Don't spill your eggs, dear Salacia!" Virgil groaned, "You got the goo, Jay?" 

"Turn tails," Janus said and handed over the shell. Virgil downed it in one shot and groaned. It was nasty like cold medicine! 

"Shall we venture on land?" Janus said above Virgil's hacking and groaning. She'd be fine!

* * *

Roman missed walking along the main street, amid the bustling crowd and merchant stalls. It was home still, and even better with his golden darling on his arm. Janus looked stunning in that humble green dress and apron, even if he refused to wear a corset. 

"This place is more active than I remember, my champagne pearl," Janus cooed and leaned against him, holding his arm. 

"It's been a while, hasn't it? The town grew into a rather large industrial complex with the new textile businesses that came in. And the jeweler who specializes in pearls and shells. We can explore to your heart's content after we finish our visit," Roman said with a soft chuckle. He didn't bother looking back at the disaster couple behind him when he was searching for her. 

"Momma!" he cheered when he spotted her perusing a merchant's sea bass. The little woman looked up at him and beamed, making her crows feet more prominent. Janus was stunned, seeing the same grin on an older woman with graying hair as his darling was uncanny. 

"Roman!" she laughed and hurried over to pull her boy into a hug, "You never sent a letter! I missed you my little prince!" 

"I missed you too, Momma," Roman responded and hugged her back, "I wanted to introduce you to my deepest love, Janus." His mom pulled away and eyed the person next to him. Janus was cute, and a little petite, but definitely Roman's type.

"It's nice to meet you, Janice! I'm Silvia, but you can call me Momma or Mom. I'm so glad Roman found his princess!" she said and switched hug targets. Roman paled but Janus shook his head. Gender was a human thing, he could blend in and he already adored this vibrant lady. 

"More like the prince found a pauper," Janus giggled, "And I am so happy to meet the queen who brought him to this world." 

"Oh don't sell yourself short Jan—Remus!" she began only to see her son holding a frustrated person close with his hands on her chest. The poor thing was wearing a maroon dress and a scowl. She raised him better!

"Mom!" he cheered when he saw her and picked Virgil up bridal style. Virgil wasn't a fan of being carried, but her legs were sore from walking. 

"Mom! Hi!" 

"Remus, put that poor lady down!" his mom ordered. Remus pouted and set Virgil on her feet. 

"Mom, this is Vee, she's my fiancee!"

"You got engaged?" 

"Yeah. It's nice to meet you," Virgil mumbled shyly. Silvia wasted no time pulling them both into a hug. 

"Both of my boys found someone! I never expected Remus to settle down! And with someone so pretty!" 

"She's gorgeous, isn't she!" Remus laughed as Virge struggled to keep her cool, "We can't stick around for long but I wanted to introduce you to the barer of your grandkids!" 

"Grandkids!?" Virgil yelped. 

"Oh hush, puppy! Let her get used to your antics first! Oh I'm so happy to meet you!" Silvia said and released them.

"I'd love to stick around, but there's a black pearl necklace I need to get for my own black pearl!" Remus cheered and whisked Virgil off her feet again. 

"Weak ankles," she said before Silvia could protest, "he's really too sweet!" Virgil hissed under her breath, making Remus shiver. Janus and Roman shared a knowing look and shook their heads as the pair left. 

"Momma, if you would like, Jan and I aren't as busy and we have some catching up to do," Roman suggested. That bright grin was back!

* * *

Janus hummed softly as he and Roman walked along the sand. It was a busy day and he was tired. Silvia was so kind and welcoming. Janus understood why Roman wanted to introduce them. 

"It's been years since I set foot on this beach," Roman mused, "years since I would stare at the stars and wish to see that mer again." 

"The stars? They're nothing more than flames further away than anyone can fathom. Your mother was so invested in telling us all she learned about them from the lecture." 

"Yes, yes, the lecture given by the man who treated you like an animal. Even if Virgil's song worked, I don't particularly care about what he has to say. Besides, wishing on stars is a classic children's dream." 

"It would appear so," Janus said and wrapped his arms around him.

"I disagree. That wish came true and then some." 

"And then some?" 

"I fell in love with you, and even the untamable Remus found love!" Roman chuckled and booped his nose. 

"Hmm, I do hope that those two are behaving and being safe. Knowing Virgil, she might be pent up and ready to flip the coral and Remus." 

"Remus would enjoy that. But I think I prefer this, being in your presence and enjoying the waves crashing." 

"I would agree," Janus purred, "but perhaps a kiss is in order." 

Roman paused and cupped Jay's face. He slowly pressed their lips together sweetly and pulled away. 

"Thank you for all you've given me," Roman breathed.

"Thank you for giving me my greatest treasure," Janus replied and kissed him again with only the sea as their witness, much like the day they met. 

##  Fin.


End file.
